Patent GB-305605-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in repeating devices for talking machines
IPC: G11B3/095
Filed: 1927-10-07
Abstract: 305,605. Gramophone Co., Ltd., and Buckle, H. L. T. Oct. 7, 1927. Repeating-mechanism; brakes, arrangement of. -A gramophone is provided with means for effecting the repeated playing of a record, a separate device for stopping the machine, and a member movable automatically under the control of the tone-arm and adapted to actuate either the repeating means or the stopping device at will. As shown, the stopping device or brake is of the kind described in Specification 249,452 and comprises a brake 1 with a handle 3 normally held cocked by a trigger 4, which is pivoted at 5 is connected to a rack 6 and is adapted to be pulled to release the brake by the engagement of a pawl 7 with the rack 6 at the end of the playing of a record, the pawl 7 being carried by a double-armed lever and pivoted at 9 and engaged with a pin 10 on the tone-arm 11. In the present arrangement, however, the rack 6 is not directly connected to the trigger 4, but is attached to a Z-shaped member 13 pivoted at 5, and the movement of the rack 6 and member 13 is communicated to the trigger 4 only if a distance-piece 14 is inserted between lugs on the member 13 and trigger 4 respectively. When the distance-piece 14 is withdrawn from between these lugs, another distance-piece 16 is inserted between another lug on the member 13 and a lug on a lever 15, and the movement of the rack is then transmitted to that lever to cause the playing of the record to be repeated. The distance-pieces 14, 16 are carried by short links 17, 18 jointed to a lever 19 pivoted at 20 and connected by a link 24 to a lever 25 pivoted at 26 and controlled by a spring 21 and a star wheel 30 provided with a pointer 27, which can be set to various positions determining whether the record shall be played once only or repeated once, twice, or more times. The repetition mechanism comprises a chain of gear wheels 35, 37, 50, 51, 52, the first wheel 35 being on the shaft of the turntable, and the last wheel 52 being adapted to operate the star wheel 30 and also a tilting rail 54 for returning the tone-arm 11 to the starting position. A part of the teeth of the wheel 37 is removed and replaced by a toothed segment 43 pivoted on the same pivot or slightly eccentrically and urged by a spring 44 towards a stop 45 on the wheel 37, in which position the teeth of the segment complete the ring of teeth of the wheel 37. During the playing of a record, however, the segment 43 is held away from the stop 45, and the wheel 35 runs free. When the tone-arm reaches the end of its course on the record, the rack 6 is operated by the pawl 7, and if the spacer 16 is in operative position the lever 15 is rocked and releases the segment 43, which is brought by its spring 44 into mesh with the wheel 35. Rotation is then transmitted to wheel 52 which makes one revolution and by means of a pin 33 works the star wheel 30 one step. At the same time a cam 32 on the wheel 52 lifts and lowers a roller 53 at the end of a rail 54 pivoted at 55, and tilts the rail for a short time causing the tone-arm to be lifted from the record and to be returned by gravity to the starting position. Meanwhile, the wheel 37 makes one revolution and is again stopped by the engagement of the segment 43 with the lever 15. The position of arrest of the wheel 37 is determined by a spring controlled pawl 40 which then engages a recess 39 in the side of a cam groove 38 in the wheel 37. During the initial part of the rotation of the wheel 37, the cam groove 38 therein acts on a projection 79 on the lever 15 and holds the rack 6 out of range of the pawl 7. After about three quarters of a revolution, the cam allows the lever to return to operative position; the lever then stops the segment 43 and the rack 6 is again within reach of the pawl 7 for the next operation. When the record has been played the number of times for which the indicator 27 was set, a pin 31 on the star wheel 30 deflects the lever 35 against the action of the spring 21, and this, by means of link 24 and lever 19, shifts spacer 16 out of action and places spacer 14 in operative position. Then, at the next operation of the rack 6, the lever 15 is unaffected, but the trigger 4 is pulled and the brake 1 applied. The lifting and return of the tone-arm 11 by the rail 54 is effected by means of an arm 58 extending beneath the tone-arm and pivoted at 89 to the upright part 80 of the elbow of the tone-arm. A roller 57 is attached to the arm 58 and rides on the rail 54. At the end of the return movement of the tone-arm, the pin 10 bears on a pivoted lever 59, which abuts on a fixed stop 65 for 12-inch records or on a spacer 66 over this stop for 10-inch records, the spacer 66 being put in or out of action as desired by a hand lever 63. The lever 59 is acted on by a spring 60 which feeds the tone-arm forward again towards the grooves of the record after it has been lowered again. To prevent rebound or premature forward movement of the tone-arm, a pawl 70 is pivoted at 55 and provided with two teeth 74, 75 adapted to engage a finger on the arm 58 and to retain the same until the rail 54 has been lowered back to its normal position to replace the sound-box on the record. The tooth 74 is for 10-inch records and the tooth 75 for 12-inch records.